The Most Famous 15% in Advertising and Why It’s Important
You hear it every time you turn on the TV, stream a show, listen to the radio… or tune into a podcast. It plays in your sleep. It was your child’s first full sentence.
“15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance.”
If you told Geico they were oversaturated, this would be the response: “Thanks!… and 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance.” That’s the point. They have become ubiquitous — and they fully embrace the ridiculous.
Geico, founded in 1936, is now the #2 insurer in the world. Is it because they offer a better product? Insurance is insurance. It’s because they wormed their way into our minds and have taken up permanent residence there. For the last 30 years, every single ad has ended the same way: with that tagline. And for the last 30 years, Geico has consistently outdone themselves with creativity and uniqueness.
The Martin Agency is the driving force behind their campaigns. Wouldn’t you love to be in on one of those meetings? What is too crazy for Geico? What ideas get kicked out because they’re just too weird? Imagine!
This creativity has given rise to the commercials we’ve grown to know and love — or despise. Doesn’t matter which. The point is we know them. Geico catapulted itself into a different stratosphere with them, so much so that other insurance companies started to mimic them. They realized they couldn’t be boring and typical anymore. Not when Geico was throwing everything from camels to cavemen at audiences.
Geico’s success is directly attributed to its ads. They’ve solidified everything that is powerful about advertising and marketing: they’re daring yet consistent, unique and same. They’ve stayed true to their brand, capturing it in a tagline that’s etched into your brain…. Like “Your Story. Told Differently.”